Chikara no Nai
by LackOFDepth
Summary: In a ninja world without chakra, shinobi are forced to rely purely on their wits and physical abilities. The young Uzumaki Naruto will become the greatest ninja of all time without any silly rasengan. MASSIVELY AU, for both obvious and less-than-obvious reasons. Pairings mostly undecided.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_"I AM NINJA_

_My Magic is Training..._

_My Body is Control..._

_My Strength is Adaptability..._

_My Weapons are Everything That Exists..._

_MY WAY IS NINJUTSU"_

**- Tiger Scroll of the Koga Ninja**

* * *

Chakra is a myth. Shinobi do not possess the power to conjure flames or summon demons to do their bidding. Those are only old wives' tales, told to children so that they learn to fear and revile us. While we no longer hide in the shadows, we operate by the laws of the Daimyo, ruling our Hidden Villages with the consent of the noblemen.

Long ago, the samurai reigned over us. In their eyes, we were a dishonorable plague. Because we were willing to do anything it took to survive in a world where the peasants starved and died in the wars of the nobles, foolishly squabbling over the world itself.

Ninja first came about as a method of finding a way to live in the war-torn lands. Peasants joined together and wandered, offering their services as mercenaries. Soon, with the passing of centuries of blood, the peasants became hardened warriors. The accepted all sorts of jobs, from assassinations to intelligence gathering. They became men of the night, enduring all the hardships of their time and using it to their advantage.

They became Shinobi. Ninja.

Soon, ninja with similar ideals and skills banded together as clans. Among the first were the Senju and the Uchiha, the strongest of the clans. Still, many more flourished. But, with the growth of the ninja, came many problems. The clans were forced to compete for jobs, eventually developing fierce rivalries.

With those rivalries came clash after clash, until finally the shinobi were forced into all out war. The samurai were powerless to stop the devastation, as many came into the crossfire of the ninja in their quest to destroy one another, in the great Sengoku Jidai.

That is, until Senju Hashirama came, and changed the face of the shinobi world forever.

Hashirama was known as a great medic and a powerful ninja, building a fierce reputation as the clan head of the Senju. In his youth, he had a short-lived friendship with the clan head of the Uchiha, Uchiha Madara. He dreamed that one day, ninja would stop fighting and become the peacekeepers of the land, forging a world that would oust suffering.

After a great victory against the Uchiha, he spared the life of Madara on the condition that the Uchiha and Senju would make peace, and found a village of shinobi. The village would become known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure.

To seal the deal, Hashirama and Madara both agreed to marry members of the Uzumaki Clan, which had already founded a village in the Land of Whirlpools. The Uzumaki were kin-related to much of the Senju Clan, and as such the marriages were seen as a concession on the part of the Uchiha.

One last matter remained, however. It had already been privately decided by Hashirama and Madara that the ruler of Konohagakure would be known as the Hokage, and that he would rule along with a small advisory council consisting of three elders (one for the Uchiha, one for the Senju, and one representative from the Uzumaki) and the clan heads.

Hashirama had desired for Madara to be declared Shodaime Hokage, but his brother Senju Tobirama convinced him to solve the matter with a vote. The Uchiha, depleted from the victory scored earlier by the Senju, were unable to secure Madara's place as Hokage, and instead Hashirama was deemed Shodaime Hokage.

In order to appease the fuming Uchiha, Tobirama suggested that the new Hokage implement a special, shinobi-based police force, consisting primarily of the Uchiha. Many nearby civilians had already joined in the production of the new village, and a strong shinobi presence could prevent them from indulging in unsavory occupations.

The Chief of the Police Force was de facto the head of the Uchiha Clan, giving Madara a position that could potentially lessen the impact of losing the Hokage's seat. Despite a lot of grumbling, the Uchiha accepted the proposal. Madara decided to stay in the village, despite previous fears he'd decided to go rogue.

Soon, Konoha was hard at work, receiving the endorsement of the Fire Daimyo. Other clans in the Land of Fire soon began to join. First came the Sarutobi, carrying with them the future Sandaime Hiruzen. After them, the Yamanaka and Hyuuga joined, followed by the Kurama, Akimichi, Inuzuka, and Aburame Clans.

Following the foundation of Konoha, other clans in other lands began to join together and create their own villages. For the first time in shinobi history, previously warring clans bound themselves to form hidden villages in which many ninja coexisted and worked with one another. This led to the proud shinobi villages we now have today.

Of course, there would always be war, as three great shinobi wars were waged after the villages had already been created. But still, the ninja endured the pain, focusing on protecting their villages at all costs. Soon, Hashirama resigned his position as Hokage, leaving the hat to his best friend, Uchiha Madara, who wore it with pride.

Madara founded many institutions we know today, such as the Konoha Military Academy, the ANBU Special Forces, and various logistical and civilian-based organizations. After his death, the coveted hat fell to Sarutobi Hiruzen, a former student of Tobirama's and rival to Madara's own student, Shimura Danzo. Madara felt that Danzo could be better utilized as the leader of the special Root Branch of the ANBU Special Forces, although he abolished some of the organizations more morally questionable attributes.

The Sandaime would then become the longest reigning Hokage, reorganizing the council to include a civilian section of the council to be called upon for economic matters, as well as reducing the overall power of the council to ensure it proved no threat to him or any future Hokage.

In his time as Hokage, he also brought the village through two shinobi world wars and trained the Sannin, three legendary ninja who worked as one of Konoha's best teams until Orochimaru's betrayal.

The last of the Hokage, the Yondaime, was Namikaze Minato. A prodigy by all accounts, he was personally brought up as the apprentice of Jiraiya of the Sannin. He was renowned as being one of the fastest shinobi on the planet, wearing a loose fitting yellow haori with a red, flaming trim.

Konoha's Yellow Flash. The greatest ninja since the likes of monsters like the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage, earning himself an SS-Rank in the bingo book and the command to "flee on sight." In his short reign as Hokage, he earned himself a reputation as a great administrator as well, on par with the Nidaime in terms of the many reforms that would categorize his time under the hat.

Unfortunately, he was forced to sacrifice his life when a small team of elite ninja from Kumo and Iwa managed to infiltrate the village, killing or incapacitating dozens of ANBU and taking out the majority of Konoha's Jounin and Tokubetsu Jounin. The team was stopped, but not before both the Yondaime and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina perished in what was likely an assassination attempt on the Hokage.

The young son of the two, who had been kept secret from the shinobi world for his own protection, was then put into the care of the Sandaime, who then placed him in an orphanage with the rest of the children. He then reassumed his old hat, naming his official successor in case of death as Nara Shikaku, the jounin commander.

It is now that we find ourselves six years from that day, entering the life of Uzumaki Naruto, orphan.

No one could have known that the child would become the greatest ninja in the history of the ninja world.

**A/N**

**So, for starters, this will be my first foray in the fanfiction land. I heard you had cookies, and I couldn't resist.**

**The premise of this story is essentially the ninja world without chakra. It is also pretty freakin' AU besides the whole "no rasengan" thing. I've had to spend quite a lot of time reimagining the abilities of all of the characters in the narutoverse, especially clans like the Hyuuga or Akimichi. **

**For those who don't quite follow the divergences of the story so far, than you should not fear, as clarification comes next chapter. Here's a quick reference list for all the information in this chapter:**

**- Hashirama spared Madara's life. Izuna never died, but Madara got severely wounded in his place. Hashirama decided not to finish him (heh), and instead nursed him back to health.**

**- Hashirama forms the Uchiha Military Police Force to appease Madara. That, along with his **_**wife **_**prevented him from leaving Konoha.**

**- Madara inherits the hat, and basically does what Tobirama did.**

**- Madara led the genin team of Uchiha Kagami, Shimura Danzo, and that random Akimichi.**

**- Madara gives the hat to Sarutobi because he thinks Danzo should dedicate himself fully to Root. He stops him from taking children from the clans or civilians of Konoha, and instead limits him the orphans. Also, he disallows some of his harsher methods.**

**- Sarutobi forms a civilian branch of the council. The council also contains the clan heads. (In canon, the council is only the elders Koharu, Homura and Danzo.)**

**- Nara Shikaku is declared heir should the Hokage lose his life. (This was intended to establish a clear line of succession should another team kill the Sandaime, or the Sandaime die due to the fragility of his old age. Not damn likely, I know.)**

**- Naruto does not have Kyuubi. This will cause all sorts of trouble for him, naturally, just to make up for it.**

**Alright, see you guys next time. And remember: I will find the complementary fanfiction author cookies, and I will eat them. They will be enjoyable. Peace.**


	2. Chapter One

_**Chapter One**_

_"Scattered Clouds, Disappearing Mist."_

**- A Japanese Proverb**

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was not a normal child.

That is to say, he was not like the other children in the orphanage. He never shut up and sat down, and any attempt to make him do so would be a waste. He was stubborn as a mule with mud stuck to its shoes and porcupine needles sticking out of its stomach.

Whether the fiery attitude was because of his nature, or simply a massive bone to pick with the world, no one could figure. He spent his days consciously or unconsciously making life hell for his caretakers. By the time he turned six, he had already been transferred between Konoha's only two orphanages at least twelve times. No one knew how to deal with the cranky beast that was this child.

If it were any other child, Danzo would have dismissed such behavior as an anomaly, but nothing worthy of further investigation. However, his scouts reported that the child was unusually energetic and possessed naturally fast healing. Danzo, of course, was familiar enough with the Uzumaki and their physical abilities, but he had never truly encountered such a monster.

He had met Uzumaki Kushina before-the girl had fled to Konoha when Uzushiogakure went down in flames-but her abilities, while impressive, were no match to those of this particular Uzumaki. If he could get his hands on this one, he'd be guaranteed a fine shinobi. It was rare for such a skilled orphan to pop up. Danzo knew this by heart, as he had been forced to train most of his Root personally.

There was something that piqued Danzo's curiosity, though. The ANBU Library, stock full of all sorts of documents and records, had only listed in it two Uzumaki refugees: Uzumaki Kushina and her late mother. If such was the case, then Naruto must have been related to Kushina in some way.

There was very little physical resemblance. There was no record of any children or spouses in her file, either. The orphanage didn't have anything on Naruto's blood relations, too. It was strange. How did another Uzumaki slip through the village's nose? Danzo would have to have a word with the bookeepers.

Nonetheless, he had seen enough. Naruto would be a perfect subject for village's use. Still, he had his doubts that such a child would be suited to Root's stealthy methods. He would do better as a frontline ninja, some sort of taijutsu or kenjutsu specialist with all that stamina. Luckily, Root had a few kenjutsu specialists in it.

Perhaps they could instruct the boy? He had already decided that his future would not lie in Root, but he could still help such a promising child start as a shinobi. Very few civilians got themselves into the Academy, yet Danzo was convinced that with some extra training Naruto could make the cut.

And so, he dispatched Neko and Kitsune to recruit the young Uzumaki.

* * *

Naruto was having a bad day. Unfortunately, instead of landing on that big bully Shisui the hot pink paint bucket spilled onto the matron.

She was not amused, and he was confined to his room.

Then, when he escaped (he knew it was a good idea to steal some hairpins from the matron's quarters) he was caught trying to jump the fence. When the caretakers pounced on him, he was forced to use the pepper spray he'd been saving for another occasion.

Despite the initial victory, a passing genin team had pinned him to the wall with kunai as a favor for the matron. This time, he got confined to the small, nigh impenetrable steel "shack" (bunker) out by the latrine. And to think, he had to waste some perfectly good explosives busting out from that bunker's door.

Still, he thought that no one would expect to find the tunnel he'd dug under the latrine. But as he was passing through the gate, some random caretaker had found her way into to the hole and followed him. When he finally thought he was scot-free, the damn woman had his ass hauled in front of the matron.

So then they had to place him in the matron's quarters. After several trips that Naruto had made into the room, she had removed all the destructible items and nailed all the furniture to the ground. Then, she had the windows and the door reinforced with steel.

Apparently, she didn't believe that he would be clever enough to bust through the weak wooden walls. A package full of fireworks and a hidden lighter later (it seemed the matron had a hidden smoking habit) and the whole room came crumbling down right after Naruto had finished his hasty exit.

He turned around right there, only to find the utterly furious face of the matron. Laughing nervously, he was then dragged wordlessly out to the middle of seemingly nowhere. One of the many mini-forests in the Konoha Training Grounds, he suspected. He couldn't tell, since the caretakers had made sure to knock him out some way into the trip.

And it was in that situation he now found himself in. They had tied his hands and feet together, an uncomfortable position to say the least. Moving his hands closer to the pockets of his cargo pants and gently patting had revealed that they had found and removed his trusty switchblade. He'd have to prank the caretakers hard when he got out of here. Did they know how long it took for him to get his grimy little hands on one of those suckers?

Cleary they didn't respect a little effort coming from their resident delinquent. He supposed this was akin to a transfer. Except instead of getting transferred from Orphanage Number 1# to Orphanage Number 2#, he was getting transferred from Orphanage Number 1# to the big bad outside world. It was about time they got that fed up with him.

He had been out of the old orphanage grounds on as many occasions as he managed to climb over the fence. In those times, he'd learned a few tricks (mostly about thievery and lockpicking) as well as opened the door to a whole new array of pranking materials.

But surviving on the streets? Naruto was unsure whether that would be all that great of an idea. He had met some of the orphans that had, for whatever reason, not entered the orphanages. They were some seriously tough guys, and no six-year old kid would be able to stand up to them.

That didn't matter in his mind. Naruto was no average six-year old kid, after all. Let them try their hands at mugging him. They'd get a fist to their faces for the trouble.

It occurred to him then that thinking about such things should probably wait until after he foiled this particular plot to get rid of him. He was lucky that they hadn't found the pocket he'd cut out on the inside of his burnt orange hoodie.

Retreating his head inside of the oversized thing was simple enough, as was grasping the kunai in his teeth. Pulling back out, he dropped the kunai into his hand. He twisted his wrist slightly, allowing the blade to rest on the rope binding him.

Gently, he began to rub the kunai against the rope. It was thick, he noticed, so this was likely going to take a fair bit of time. With that in mind, he sped up. The rope was being cut through barely any faster than before. Sighing, he gave up and went back to his previous speed.

Where was this forest, anyway? Far enough away from the village that it would probably be at least a few hours before he made his way back. Considering it was already close to sunset, Naruto resigned to the fact he likely wouldn't be back in Konoha for at least the rest of the day.

Dwelling on that was a mistake, it seemed, as he had unintentionally sped up the kunai again in his anger. The rusty old thing fell out of his hands and onto the grass, where it seemed to hit a rock or something and bounce off out of his reach. Not desiring to wiggle his way over there right away, Naruto decided to sit still for a moment and take in his surroundings.

He was in a clearing. And, as he already previously observed, in the middle of nowhere. He hoped the matron and caretakers got lost on the way back and got taken down by some rabid wolves. A thing he hadn't caught his eye quickly, besides what he had taken in when he had first awakened.

There was something-no, someone approaching fast from the forest. He couldn't get a decent look at his or her appearance, as they were wearing some sort of heavy brown cloak. He could do little but wait as the object made its way into the clearing.

The masked man (he was going to assume he was male from the way he stood straighter) paused briefly, looking right at Naruto. Although he knew that he wasn't much like other six-year olds, he was still slightly frightened at the sight of such a weird mask.

It was all white, with whisker-like markings on the edges. Besides that, the image on the mask was a blank, neutral face with droopy eyelids as if it were some sort of drowsy animal. He had seen one or two ANBU before, but this one had a mask with no sort of color or personality to it. Strange.

A few seconds later, the apparent partner of the man arrived. This one was likely a woman, he deduced quickly from her shorter height and thinner frame. Her mask had slightly longer whisker marks, with thin, predatory eyes.

She shared a short look with her partner, who nodded before she set her eyes on Naruto with more intensity than the other ANBU. She gazed over him, like he was some sort of Civilian School Science Project, before her droopy-eyed comrade spoke up.

"We mean you no harm, Uzumaki Naruto. We are under orders to bring you to Danzo-sama for shinobi training. We apologize for any inconvenience the matron of your orphanage caused when she secured you for transport."

It took five seconds for it to click.

"Secured me for transport? What the hell do you mean, secured me for trans-"

He was silenced by a swift kick to the head.

**A/N**

**Alright, so were finally getting somewhere with this story. Sorry for the whole "introduction" thing last chapter, I know it was kind of overwhelming. I have two things to make quick note of here:**

**1. No, Danzo (along with most of the ninja in Konoha, even the high-ranking ones) are utterly unaware of Naruto's Parentage.**

**2. _55 _asked if Naruto would still be hated. No, he's just a regular orphan. Just a really bratty and clever "regular" orphan.  
**

**Actually, there's a third thing. Naruto is owned by its writer and artist, Masashi Kishimoto. I'm only saying that once.**

**As of 8/11/13, corrected logical fallacy with gag.**


	3. Chapter Two

_**Chapter Two**_

_"Some Warriors look fierce, but are mild. Some seem timid, but are vicious. Look beyond appearances; position yourself for the advantage."_

**-Deng Ming-Dao**

The first thing Naruto became aware of as he exited his second nonconsensual lapse into unconsciousness that day was that the sun was burning his eyes. Naturally, he shoved his arms in front of his face to prevent his precious eye membranes receiving third-degree burns.

"It seems he is awake, Kitsune-san." The person hoisting him into the air spoke. It was the male ANBU.

They were still wearing the thick cloaks they were wearing earlier. It was curious that they seemed not to be wearing ANBU armor, although he supposed they could be under them. It didn't matter right now, anyway.

"Yes, Neko-senpai." The female ANBU, whom Naruto how now identified as 'Kitsune' replied.

They were speaking in some sort of monotone drawl, as if they were completely uninterested in the world around them. It was surprisingly creepy, especially while they were wearing their masks. Naruto was almost tempted to make a break for it, but Neko's firm arms around him restrained him far too tightly.

"Where are you guys taking me?" He tried to keep his voice steady, but a bit of his inner frightened six-year old might have made it through.

"We already informed you before your incapacitation. We were requested to bring you to Danzo-sama, in order to instruct you in what we assume are the shinobi arts." Neko said, glancing briefly up at the Uzumaki child, who frowned soon after.

"While being a shinobi sounds like a suitably insane and exciting job for me, I have another question. Who the hell is 'Danzo-sama'?"

The ANBU appeared to think for a moment before replying.

"He is...the owner of the orphanages you have resided at, as well as a former Konoha ninja."

The owner? He always assumed that the Matrons were the owners, and he'd never heard of this Danzo guy before. However, he silenced his own thoughts quickly. It seemed that whether he liked it or not, he was going to go see this 'Danzo'.

* * *

They had finally arrived at Danzo's home, at least according to the ANBU. It was a moderately sized house, and would have been perfectly normal were it not in the middle of a thick forest which was in itself within a ninja village.

Neko didn't seem to want to put him back down, even as they approached the unassumingly assuming house. Instead, he simply passed him over to Kitsune before he knocked firmly three times on the wooden door. After some time, the door opened slowly, and yet another monotone voice ordered them to enter.

Neko didn't bother taking him back from Kitsune, instead leading the group down the hallways of Danzo's "house", which, from an inside perspective, was more like some sort of military-grade hideout than the home of an orphanage owner. It further piqued his curiosity into the identity of Danzo. As far as he was aware, ninja didn't live in random bunkers in the middle of Konoha's forests.

The light echoes of Neko's feet hitting the ground as he strode purposefully through seemingly random corridors eventually stopped as he paused in front of yet another identical wooden door. He turned himself, and then tapped his fist on the door.

"Ah, you are back, Neko-san. You may enter." Spoke the voice of what was presumably an old man, from the aged tone.

Giving a brief nod to her partner, Kitsune effortlessly sliced off the ropes binding his limbs, giving Naruto the freedom to move once again. Then, after a second of consideration, hoisted him gently back on the ground. Without any more hesitation, she followed Neko inside the room, whispering quietly for Naruto to follow.

Normally, Naruto would have taken the opportunity to bolt, but his confiscated pranking tools and the apparent security of Danzo's probably-not-a-house crushed any possibility of escape. Instead, he wordlessly followed her into the dimly-lit room.

Candles were the only light source here, masking much of the furniture. The light from the door was cut off as Kitsune spun around and closed it before continuing on her path. She and Neko were advancing towards the other side of the room, where an old man dressed in some old-fashioned clothing was sitting.

As soon as they came within in a foot of him, Neko and Kitsune bowed deeply in unison, even letting down their heads. Naruto was unsure of what to do, but the old man frailly turned around to face them and seemed uninterested in his awkwardness. In a couple more seconds, his entire body was looking in their direction.

The man had bandages covering half his face, trailing down the neck and probably into his torso. Short, spiky brown hair covered his head. The amber-tinted brown eyes, wrinkly skin, and x-shaped scar on his chin all indicated "weathered old warrior", but it was expression that was truly weird.

His face seemed to show no signs of emotion or interest, his eyes lazily glancing over to Neko and Kitsune before unnervingly coming to rest on him. Luckily, after a few seconds of staring, the man relented and let his eyelids close.

"Hello, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm assuming that you have a lot of questions. Sit, and I will do my best to answer them. My name is Shimura Danzo. Do not bother introducing yourself, I know enough about you already." He intoned calmly, eyes still closed in what appeared to be either meditation or deep sleep.

Rubbing the marks left on his wrist gingerly, Naruto ungracefully plopped onto the rather comfortable carpet. Danzo didn't even raise an eyebrow, simply waiting for him to get settled and on to the "asking questions" thing.

Naruto dug for a good question to ask. He already had guessed a fair bit about Danzo: he was a former shinobi war veteran, was obviously more than he appeared, and somehow had a few ANBU loyal to him. He doubted Danzo would be inclined to reveal much, so he searched for something else to ask.

"Why would you want to train me?" Danzo seemed to have expected the question, from how easily his answer came.

"Being a former shinobi of some caliber myself, as well as the owner of Konoha's resident orphanages, I often find orphans who show some sort of skill that would lend well to the life of a ninja. When I find such cases, I take those orphans under my wing to instruct them until they join the Academy, so that they don't have as much of a disadvantage when facing clan-raised children."

Naruto suspected that Danzo's statement hid something, but he was more focused on the shinobi training that Danzo was going to give him.

"Alright, thanks, Jiji." Danzo actually frowned at Naruto's statement, which almost made him chuckle.

"There is no need for thanks, Gaki. I am simply aiding Konoha, by adding another promising young shinobi to its ranks." Danzo's frown had all since disappeared by the time he reached the end of the sentence, making the situation significantly drop in hilarity.

"Neko, Kitsune, escort Uzumaki-san to his room." And with that, Danzo's eyes opened just a sliver.

Naruto felt his eyes on his back as they exited the room.

* * *

His room was Spartan in appearance and comfort. Neko and Kitsune had informed him that they would return in the morning to bring him to where he was to be trained. For now, he was left to his own devices until night came. In the meantime he had thoroughly examined his room, confirming that there were no weak spots or areas to escape.

Not that he was too keen on escaping. The life of a ninja was usually much more interesting than anything a boring civilian job could get him, and Danzo's apparent experience would likely improve his chances of becoming one.

Of course, he also decided to stay because of the mystery of Danzo and his ANBU. He had seen even more as they had traveled the halls to his quarters, and he was curious as to Danzo's position. Who, besides the Hokage, could have squads of ANBU loyal to him?

He was too deep in thought to notice the shadow creeping around his room until a kunai was pressed against his throat. Perfect, yet another grand circumstance he had blindly stumbled his way into. He could barely see his attacker, besides the pale white arm wringing its way around his shoulder.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my quarters?" The shadowy assailant asked. Its voice was indistinguishable, making it practically impossible to figure out its gender or age.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. And these are supposed to be my quarters."

The attacker was about to say something, but then decided against it. It then withdrawed its kunai from Naruto's throat in a slow, almost methodical manner before unceremoniously slamming its body on the bed Naruto was sitting on.

"I apologize for my hostility, but I was informed you wouldn't be arriving yet. Here, I brought a futon for you to use."

Looking over at him, he could now look closer at the attacker. He was wearing a stylish light grey kimono with something patterned into its back. He was a good-looking guy, probably a teenager already, with long black hair let loose to flow down his back. His face was as pale as his arm, with offsetting onyx eyes. His voice was also distinctly more masculine now, as it seemed he had intentionally confused Naruto with his previous tone.

Turning his eyes to his hands revealed that he had indeed brought a futon. Sighing lightly, he grabbed the futon and began to set it up, before the assaulter placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, we're going to be sharing this room for a while. You should probably know my name." The boy's face smiled in an awkward sort of way. "I'm Kuro."

"Crow? What the hell sort of name is 'Crow'?"

Kuro's smile threatened to drop, but just barely managed to remain despite a serious straining of his lips. "I don't have a real name. It's an ANBU thing."

"Right." And with that, Naruto went back down to preparing his futon.

What the hell was with all the freaking weird people he was meeting lately?

* * *

**A/N: Well, first I must say I'm sorry for the massive delay in getting this chapter ready for your viewing pleasure. Shit happened, (job-related shit, in this case) and I had to stop working on this for a little while. Suffice to say, I'm ready to start pumping out chapters again.**

**Also, to clear up a few questions you may have:**

**1. Jiji is also a rude-ish term to use when talking to old men. Like "Hey, Old Man." It's not very nice, although it can be used affectionately for a grandfather or something. I figured referring to Danzo as such is something that pre-series brat Naruto would very much do, even with the intelligence upgrade he's got here. Gaki is a disrespectful term for emphasizing someone's childishness. Danzo was calling him out for his brat-like nature.**

**2. Fu and Torune are not in ANBU, since Madara banned Danzo from recruiting clan children. This particular butterfly spawned a lot more differences you'll find out later.**

**3. Root is going to be full of OC's, I apologize in advance but there just weren't enough characters to work with.**

**4. Sorry, but I haven't seen what reviews have been made since the last chapter so I won't be responding to them until the next one. Peace!**


	4. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three**_

_"Ponder and deliberate before you make a move."_

**- Sun-Tzu's the Art of War**

* * *

Danzo actually sort of the liked the Uzumaki child. He was an insolent, pretentious brat, full of life and energy. It reminded him of a younger Sarutobi. That would have to be remedied.

He had already gone over the basics of his two-year training plan with Neko and Kitsune. The Uzumaki's stamina and quick-thinking could be very useful for someone proficient in their specialties. They would test the Uzumaki today, and then perform a strict training regime to build body strength and speed.

If everything turned out correctly, Neko and Kitsune could begin instructing him in their respective arts by the second year. By the end of the second year, he was expected to be on par with the average genin, very impressive for someone who would be joining the Academy around that time. Then, they would let him go, preferably without knowledge of Root or its activities.

The only problem was Hiruzen. While the Hokage had been preoccupied for quite some time in the aftermath of the Yondaime's death, he would no doubt be sharp enough to ask questions should Naruto enroll. Then, Danzo would have to explain himself, and he was sure that Sarutobi would not be pleased with Danzo training a child without clearing it with him first.

Still, he had decided that he would see through with Naruto's training. He had already gone through the trouble of securing him from the Matron, and even letting him see the interior of Root's base. If he let him go now, the gaki might tell everyone about him, and he could not allow that.

Plus, he did have potential. Danzo could feel it, even with his withered old body.

With that thought, he lifted himself off the floor, grabbed his cane, and walked off. He needed his morning tea.

* * *

When Naruto woke, it was to the masks of Neko and Kitsune over him. He would have screamed were it not for how tired he was.

"Ungh." He grunted, pulling the covers over his head in an effort to block out the sun.

"It is time to wake up, Uzumaki-san." Neko said, far too loudly for Naruto's case.

After a couple of seconds of him refusing to wake up, Neko nodded to Kitsune. It was then that Naruto felt a bucket of ice-cold water splashing on his head. It took him exactly two seconds to process what had just happened.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He screeched in the traditional "scared little girl" voice. He immediately leaped out of his futon, crashing his head on the wall opposite his pillow.

If the ANBU were amused, they didn't show it. Instead, Neko reached around Naruto's hip and picked him up. Shutting the door to Naruto's room with his free hand, he followed Kitsune as she walked down the hallway.

Now very much awake, Naruto deflated onto Neko's shoulder. So much for the whole "sleep" thing. If he was right, it was just after dawn, and with how late he went to bed last night that might have only given him five hours at best. If he had the energy to sigh, he would have.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. Halting in front of a larger than usual wooden door, Kitsune pushed it open to reveal a communal showering room. Luckily, there was no one using it at the moment, so it seemed that his poor mind would not have to be scarred yet.

Neko let him down and then pointed towards a small nozzle. Getting the message, Naruto took off his hoodie. He would have taken off his pants, but...

"Hey, um... could you guys like, not look?"

Neko and Kitsune seemed a bit confused, but then averted their faces. Taking off the rest of his clothing, Naruto took a short, two-minute shower. The water was almost as cold as what they had used to wake him up this morning, but still marginally warmer than the orphanage baths. By the time he finished, Neko had produced a small bundle of clothing from seemingly nowhere and handed it to him.

He got dressed quickly. The clothes were extremely easy to get on, just a firm-fitting light grey shirt and some shinobi-style pants he had seen before on the non-cloaked ANBU (just without the bandages). When he was done, Neko shook his shoulder.

"We're going to go to the training grounds now." He motioned for Naruto to follow him and Kitsune.

They travelled the halls in silence once again. Naruto briefly wondered where all the other ANBU where, but dismissed it. They were probably off on some mission or other.

This time, they stopped in front of a door identical to the one in front of the showers. Kitsune opened the door again, entering instantly after doing so. Neko wasn't far behind, and Naruto had to run to catch up with them.

The training grounds were huge, and full of seemingly everything anyone had ever classified as able to kill someone. Ninja tools and weapons of all kinds hung from the walls, above baskets full of materials whose labels indicated that no one should touch them without severe caution.

The ANBU didn't stop until they reached the corner of the room, where a few practice swords and foam mats had been laid. The ANBU swiftly shed their cloaks, allowing Naruto to look at their bodies for the very first time.

Neko was a young man, with spiky brown hair hanging loose over his mask. He was athletic and well-built, with an outfit similar to Naruto's but with ANBU armor over it. He had some sort of short sword strapped to his back, and several extra kunai holsters added to his uniform.

Kitsune, on the other hand, was probably only around Kuro's age. Her hair was neat and tidy, reaching just past her shoulders. It was a lighter shade of brown than Neko's. She wore the same ANBU pants and modified ANBU armor, but her shirt was pure black and much looser than Naruto's. She also had the sword strapped to her back, the tip of its scabbard just barely reaching out around her hip.

The newly uncloaked ANBU each grabbed one of the wooden swords. Neko picked up one just like the one strapped on his back, but Kitsune picked up one more like a katana. He was confused as to what they were doing.

"Here," Neko said as he tossed him a sword identical to his own. "is a bokken, a practice-intended, wooden blade. Mine is shaped like a tanto, as is yours, but Kitsune's is a full-sized katana."

"We are to test you. Do not expect to make contact, as we doubt you have ever even touched a weapon before. We are to evaluate you purely on your potential, rather than any actual skill you may possess."

Naruto would have frowned, were it not for him being ultra-competitive enough for a cocky smirk to show up instead.

"You're wrong."

The ANBU didn't even take note of that as he charge headfirst into the fray. He was just about to slam his bokken right into Neko's abdomen when a light tap on the head from Kitsune's left hand dizzied him and a sweeping kick from Neko made him trip and faceplant right into the mat.

It took him a few seconds to get up before he saw Kitsune's bokken swishing right for his head. He tried to reach his tanto up in time, but Neko simply used his hand to hold down Naruto's wrist. A hard bonk on the head later and Naruto couldn't even think straight.

He wobbled slightly, as the ANBU quietly approached him. Shaking his head to try to ward off the intense need to throw up, he refocused himself back on Neko and Kitsune. What could he do? What could possibly manage to stop them in their tracks?

Then he realized something great: his small size could provide one significant advantage.

With that, he ran again right at Neko, aiming his bokken for his torso. When he began to pass under him, Kitsune about to intervene, he did the most vicious thing he could have possibly done in such a situation.

He lifted his head up, and then slammed his skull into Neko's crotch. Even as Kitsune banged him in the stomach with her bokken, Neko's thighs instinctively crushed against each other as his whole body contorted in an agonizing manner.

Naruto: 1, ANBU: At least 5, but it was still a pretty effective move.

Then, without any further hesitation, he brought his bokken up to ram Kitsune's crotch as well. She froze for a moment.

"Ow."

Then he felt a few more hard strikes, some even from Neko who had evidently recovered from Naruto's headbutt. They spent the rest of the day beating him around in a similar matter. The fact that he had even managed to keep fighting all that time spoke volumes.

* * *

He had been laying on his futon for half an hour before Kuro showed up, wearing the same kimono as yesterday.

_Where have you been all day_, Naruto wanted to ask, but didn't.

Kuro's hair was disheveled, unlike yesterday. While it was still wet from showering, it was full of knots and even cut in some places. It seemed he didn't have the best time of it today either.

He sat down on his bed, showing no interest in Naruto. After a few seconds of staring, Naruto's eyes left Kuro and closed in exhaustion. He had never felt weaker in the entirety of his short lifetime. His muscles ached, his heart pumped faster than ever, and his face was too worn out to even make a grimace.

It sucked.

Kuro seemed to pick up on it rather quickly, from the small shuffle of blankets as he stood up from the bed. He placed his hand on Naruto's back, taking advantage of the fact that he was too tired to care.

"Did you... have a bad day?" He asked, pausing in his strange way.

"Heh... I guess you could say that."

Kuro frowned.

"Would you like to... tell me? About it."

Naruto didn't understand why all the ANBU he had met seemed to lack all social conventions, but he did appreciate the offer.

"No. But thanks anyway." Naruto spoke firmly. He didn't want to talk about how handily his ass got kicked.

Kuro accepted his answer. But he wouldn't pull his hand off Naruto's back. He had something more to say.

"Would you like... to sleep in the bed?"

Naruto perked up a little.

"Yes please."

* * *

**A/N:****Alright, so there was only one review for Chapter One, and that was by _Last of the Ancients_.**

**Yes, I understand the chapter are a little on the sort side. It's mainly do to a shadowy cabal of international criminals holding a gun to my head and taking a shot whenever I go over 2,000 words.**

**On a more serious note, update time is expected to be around 1-2 chapters a day, that way I should pump out somewhere in between 10,000 and 20,000 words a week.**

**Peace.**


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